What’s up in this season

I feel like we occasionally have seasons in life where you just can’t say anything because no one will be happy or satisfied with what you say because emotions are running too high, and all that is left of reason is a few measly swipes in the bottom of the jar.

That being said, I think this is one of those seasons.

I mean, ever since Trump won the election, and masses of people flipped out in shock and disbelief over the results, I don’t think people have been quite right since. It’s been humorous (or at least I’ve had some good laughs), but I have also found the responses to be annoying, childish, ridiculous, ill-informed, one-sided, and border-line hysteria. My husband had a great response after several days of me reading people’s commentary to him. He said, “If one man can turn back decades of progress in a country within 4 years, then your country was never that great to begin with.”

Dare I say, I wholeheartedly agree with him.

But this latest drama over temporarily banning refugees and citizens from particular countries has been mind-boggling. Granted, I’m coming out of a sobering and sad holiday season, and my husband and I are closing on a house this week and moving….so, maybe I’m not thinking about things the right way….but, I’m seeing a lot of things being conflated to the same level of value and importance.

For instance, I came across the statement “If you are pro-life, then you must be pro-refugee”. So, saving unborn children who would be killed in the womb is exactly the same as welcoming all refugees who want to migrate to the United States. And then I also came across statements comparing the ban of refugees to the Jews who were fleeing Nazi Germany, some of which died in the Holocaust. And granted I know that is a highly sensitive (virtually untouchable) subject, but to be honest, that is not the same thing. In fact, none of these things are the same.

We can list the horrors (clearly not an all-inclusive list): slavery, the Holocaust, abortion, and Middle Eastern/African refugees. And the Holocaust would still be the untouchable horror at the top of list, followed by whatever else you think is less egregious, and so on. And you know, that list will likely look different from person to person. And I can wholeheartedly respect that, and I wouldn’t even argue with someone over what is more important. But the fact is, there are certain things that are more important than others, and I refuse to be swept away with the masses believing that all of these things are equally important and deserve an equal level of response.

Another thought I have about this is that people are clamoring that America should be open to all people regardless of where they come from, what they believe, etc., and we don’t open our homes or even selves to people like that. My husband also made this good point: we are all selective and discriminatory when it comes to the people we engage with and welcome into our homes. I would also add, one of the main reasons we do that is because we don’t know the people, and we want our homes to be safe. Even more so, we want to feel safe in our homes, especially if we have a family. So that is why we are likely to help the homeless on the street by buying them food or clothes, or even helping them get to a shelter, but we are less likely to welcome them into our homes for the next month with hopes of helping them get back on their feet. And even if we have the noble desire to do something like that, the lingering thought of safety and our security likely chides us until we modify our actions.

So, all I will say on the topic is this: Safety and security matter a whole lot this life. As people grow more and more wicked, those things will matter more and more. Being desirous of safety and security does not necessarily mean that “your love has grown cold” or that you are “loveless” (in my opinion), but it does mean that you must, by absolute necessity, exercise greater discernment and wisdom in what you do for people and how you go about doing it. And prayer will always be essential, whether you are the one who is making the call, the one who may be affected by the decision, or even the one who will not be bothered either way. We need to pray.

Sidenote: We also need to stop using Scripture to justify our political actions, acting like there isn’t a difference between the Church and the world and that America is the “Israel” of the Bible. There is a difference, and we are not that special.

So, as I’m sure that someone will be unsatisfied with that response, I’m not going to say anything else about the topic. There are way too many unasked questions, responses that are yet to be formed, and honest facts that are still being ignored. So, until then, I’ll just continue to pray for our nation and its leadership.

And other areas of life…

-My grandmother died about 2 weeks before Christmas, and I recognize that I’m still grieving. But I also see the importance of running the race of this Christian life well, and my aim is to run well so that I can die well when that time comes.

-I realized after Christmas that I really hated my lack of self-control when it comes to food. Granted, I know part of that was emotional eating, but in general, I began to really loathe myself and these desires. I actually got angry my husband picked up a doughnut from the store while I couldn’t have one (wheat allergy), and even while angry, I was angry that I got so angry about it. So after admitting my sinfulness to myself, talking to my husband about it, and really going before God about my sin, I’ve been trying to really treat my eating and my desires like every other sin in my life…..killing it before it kills me. My husband recommended Dr. Michael Brown’s new book Breaking the Stronghold of Food to me, and I did read it. I thought it was pretty extra on the conviction level, but I gleaned some good things from it. So, I’ve lost about 18 lbs since the start of the year (cramming vegetables like there’s no tomorrow in every meal), and I’m praying that God continues to change my mind and affections when it comes to food. Truly, I don’t want it to be said that my god is my belly, and I glory in that shame.

-I did get a Twitter account (@wifewithpurpose). I don’t post that much, but I am trying to be a little better. So you can follow if you like.

-As I mentioned before, my husband and I (after 5 ½ years of hard work) are closing on a new home this week. So, we are in the midst of packing, and will move this weekend. So expect Twitter to go silent for a while.

-I’m presently reading through Sinclair Ferguson’s The Whole Christ, and it has truly been a soul-searching blessing to me. I highly recommend everyone to get a copy and read through it.

-As a result of reading that book, I’m realizing that as a married woman, I still need Christ more and more each day, and I need to hold fast to the small, but beautiful truth that He truly does love me, in spite of all of my failures and weaknesses. And it is very easy for the cares and concerns of marriage, family life, and taking care of a home to smother those truths in my heart. Sometimes, it feels like that is all there is in my life. And so, I’m reorienting my affections back to my loving Lord and Savior, and training myself to do that throughout each day.

-Finally, I miss singing. Our church had a choir, and then the musician left over a year ago, and I miss it. I had always thought that there was no way I could possibly find the time with all of the duties of the home, but I think I can. And my husband is supportive. So, I’m hoping to try out for the Charleston Gospel Choir this year, and prayerfully I’ll make it! If not, I guess I need to find something else to do. 🙂

So, that is an update. I hope you are having a blessed New Year, and I’m hoping to get back into blogging regularly, real soon!

May our kind Lord give His peace in your new home. And may He bless you neighbors through y’all.
Thanks again for challenging us and if seeking to live His Gospel every moment. Clinging to Christ
David